Pill carrying and dispencing device



E. B.. F'INCH, JR

Dec. 3, 1968l vFUJI., CARRYING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29.'1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l I uw Dec. 3, 1968 5.13, FINCH, .1R

PILL CARRYING ANDv DISPENSING DEVICE med Aug. 29, 196e 4 2 Sheets-Sheet2 ||||||Illl|1wm1 NNN ,Illlllllllllllllllllll ||||||I||\ wh ww www Nm.Nw Nw United States Patent O 3 414,119 PILL CARRYING AD DISPENCINGDEVICE Eugene B. Finch, Jr., Elmwood Park, Ill., assignor to ContainerCorporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware FiledAug. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 575,677 9 Claims. (Cl. 206-42) ABSTRACT F THEDISCLOSURE A case for carrying and dispensing medicine pills or the likecomprising a pair of generally similar outer sections hingedlyinterconnected at their rear edges and open at their front sides and apair of trays open on one side positioned 'within respective sectionswith bottoms in back-to-back relation.

This invention relates to an improvement in a container or package forcarrying and dispensing small articles such as tablets, capsules, pillsor the like.

The invention comprehends a container, preferably formed of plasticmaterial, comprising an outer case formed of a pair of hingedlyinterconnected sections adapted to receive a pair of slidably mountedarticle carrying trays.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved carrying anddispensing device for tablets which is of simple design and constructionand which is capable of dispensing one or two tablets at a time.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a tabletcarrying and dispensing device comprising an outer case with at leastone inner tray slidably mounted for insertion and removal and havingindexing means accommodating the partial withdrawal of the tray atselective predetermined positions for dispensing a limited number ofarticles from the package.

These and yother objects of the invention will be apparent from anexamination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a dispensing device embodying featuresof the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device illustrated in FIGURE l, with atray member shown in an open or dispensing position;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are transverse vertical sections taken on lines 3-3 and4--4, respectively, of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the interior of the device shown in an openposition; and

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE5.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elementshave been intentionally omitted from certain views where they arebelieved to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of theinvention, and particularly to FIGURE l, it will be seen that the novelcarrying case and dispensing device, indicated generally at 10, includesa pair of generally similar iirst and second outer case sections 12 and14, respectively, which are adapted to slida'bly receive a pair ofsimilar trays or drawer-like members 16 and 18.

The first and second or top and bottom sections of the outer case aregenerally similar. The first section includes a preferably rectangularllat main wall 20 having a pair of front and rear end walls 22 and 24and a pair of side walls 26 formed integrally with the edges thereof andextending therefrom to form a box-like enclosure open on the sideopposite the main Wall 20. The other or second section is similarlyformed and includes a main wall 30 having a pair of front and rear endwalls 32 and 34 and "ice pair of side walls 36 extending therefrom toform a like enclosure. The two outer case sections may be hingedlyattached at their adjacent edges of their respective rear end walls byan integrally formed hinge 38.

As best seen in FIGURES 2, 3, and\6, the trays are of similarconstruction and each includes a generally rectangular flat main wall 40having a pair of front and rear end walls 42 and 44, respectively, and apair of side walls 46 formed integrally therewith and extending from theside edges thereof to form a generally box-like enclosure open on theside opposite the main wall. Formed integrally with each front end wall42 is -a handle element 48 which facilitates grasping of the tray towithdraw it from the outer case. As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, eachof the tray main walls 40 has a plurality of spaced openings 50extending therethrough which vare separated from each other by aplurality of posts 52 extending into the tray from the main wall. Thepurposes of the holes and posts in the tray are to serve as dividers andpositioning means for the tablets much in the same manner as partitionswould serve. If desired partitions could be substituted for the holesand posts to form a plurality of cells for the individual tablets. Asbest seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 each of the trays is formed at the outeredge of its side walls with a longitudinally extending laterallyprojecting ilange or lip 54 provided with a plurality of longitudinallyspaced notches 56 the purpose of which is described later in thespecification.

Now referring to FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be seen that the rst or topsection 12 of the outer case is pro vided at its forward end with a pairof downwardly projecting guide pins 60 adapted to be received withincomplementary aligned openings 62 formed in the second or bottom sectionof the outer case to maintain the sections in alignment with each other.The first or top section may also be provided adjacent its forward endwith a pair of downwardly projecting preferably integrally formedlatches -64 adapted to ilexibly engage and be retained by a pair ofcomplementary formed stops 66 formed on the forward end of the bottom orsecond section of the outer case. Thus, the case may =be closed bysnapping the latch over the step means and it may -be opened by merelyforcing the sections apart. j

Front walls 22 and 32 of the outer case first and second sections may beprovided with openings 70a and 70b, respectively, which are aligned witheach other and which are adapted to permit the insertion or withdrawalof the trays from the sections of the outer case.

As best seen in FIGURE 3 the main wall of each of the outer casesections may be provided with a pair of integrally formed inwardlyconverging longitudinally extending guide flanges 72 which form with therespective main walls of the outer case sections longitudinallyextending grooves 74 adapted to receive the flanges 54 of the respectivetrays. These grooves serve as a track for the slidably mounting of thetrays to permit their insertion or withdrawal and to maintain lthe traysin proper alignment within the outer case. At its forward end each -ofthe outer case main walls may 4be provided on its inside with atransversly extending flange or bead 76 adapted to engage the forwardedge of the tray rear wall to prevent the tray from being accidentallypulled completely lout of the outer case when the tray is withdrawn fordispensing tablets therefrom. Adjacent the flanges 72 at the forwarden-ds of the outer case sections there may be provided a pair of lugs orbosses 78 which serve as indexing means as they are received within thenotches 56 of the tray side wall flanges S4; these provide stop meanswhich permit the tray to be Withdrawn to selective predeterminedpositions so that only one compartment at a time is exposed.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, the trays are positioned within the outer casewith their main walls in back-toback relationship, and to ll the packagewith tablets each of the trays is withdrawn and the tablets are insertedin the various compartments. The trays are then pushed back into thecontainer and when it is desired to dispense one or two tablets a bottomtray is pulled out to the necessary stop to permit the dispensing `oftablets when the bottom tray has Ibeen emptied the case is turned overand the top tray then becomes the bottom tray and tablets are dispensedin the same manner.

Thus it will be seen that a simple compact arrangement has been providedfor carrying and dispensing tablets one or two at a time in a convenientmanner.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for holding and dispensing small articles such astablets, capsules, -or pills, the combination of:

(a) an outer case including a pair of generally similar first and secondsections each having a main wall with a pair of front and rear end wallsand a pair of side walls extending therefrom to define a hollowstructure and being hingedly interconnected at their rear walls;

(b) a pair of generally similar iirst and second inner trays each havinga main wall with a pair of front and rear end walls and a pair of sidewalls extending therefrom to deiine a tray-like structure open on oneside;

(c) said trays being slidably mounted within respective sections of saidouter case with their main walls in back-to-back relation and their opensides facing in opposite directions;

(d) the front end walls of said outer case sections having openings toaccommodate the insertion and withdrawal of said trays;

(e) cooperating guide .means on said outer case sections and said traysaccommodating the sliding movement of the trays into and out of saidouter case;

(f) cooperating indexing means on said -outer case sections and saidtrays accommodating the positioning of the trays at selectivepredetermined positions for dispensing a desired number of articles asthe trays are withdrawn from said outer case.

2. In a device for holding and dispensing small articles such astablets, capsules, or pills, the combination of:

(a) an outer case;

(b) a pair of generally similar tirst and second inner trays slidablymounted within said outer case with bottom walls disposed inback-to-back relation and open sides facing in opposite directions;

(c) said outer case having an opening to accommodate the insertion andwithdrawal of said trays;

(d) cooperating guide means on said outer case and said traysaccommodating the sliding movement of the trays into and out of saidouter case;

(e) cooperating indexing means on said outer case and said traysaccommodating the positioning of the trays at selective predeterminedpositions for dispensing a desired number of articles as the trays arewithdrawn from said outer case.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said tray includes meansforming compartments for separating the articles held therein.

4. A device according to claim 2, and including handle means on saidtray,

5. A device according to claim 2, wherein said outer case comprises apair of hingedly interconnected generally similar iirst and secondsections each comprising a main wall with a pair of front and rear endwalls and a pair of side walls extending therefrom to form a hollowbox-like struct-ure.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said case includescomplementary means for aligning said sections with each other.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein said outer case includes latchmeans for detachably interconnecting said sections.

8. A device according -to claim 2, wherein said guide means includes apair of longitudinally extending flanges on said tray which are slidablyreceivable within a pair of longitudinally extending grooves in saidouter case.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein said indexing means includesat least one projection on said outer case which is receivable withinone of a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses on a flange of saidtray.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 53,045 3/1866 Ryder 190-3 138,0004/1873 Bliss 190-3 1,507,760 10/1924 Sutherland 31.2-200 2,708,0265/1955l Duell 206-42 3,186,540 6/1965 Breger.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner,

I. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner.

